PRESS RELEASE
1 August 2013 • PRE-13-16
Office of Communications
53-70 Jingumae 5-chome
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925
www.unu.edu

Contact:Aska Maki
03-5467-1212
media@unu.edu

Prof. Anthony Capon Joins the United Nations University as
Director of UNU-IIGH
Kuala Lumpur — The United Nations University (UNU) is pleased to announce that Prof. Anthony G. Caponon 1 August took up the post of Director of the UNU International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH).
UNU-IIGH, established in 2007, is located in the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Complex inKuala Lumpur. The Institute contributes, through research and training activities, to the development andstrengthening of health services policy frameworks and management actions, particularly for people indeveloping countries, and supports the implementation of promotive and preventive approaches to humanhealth.
New UNU-IIGH Director Anthony Capon is a public health physician and an authority on environmental
health and health promotion. A dual national of Australia and New Zealand, he has more than two decadesof senior leadership and management experience in public health research, education and policy, and has
consulted in many countries and for a wide variety of organizations.
“A major focus of UNU-IIGH is on helping developing countries to enhance their capability to deal withthreats to human health, and to facilitate innovation and the dissemination of information”, said Dr. DavidMalone, Rector of the United Nations University. “As a public health physician with a notable research andteaching background, and a particular expertise in environmental health and health promotion, Tony brings
a new dimension to the UNU-IIGH Director role. I’m very pleased to welcome him to the UNU family, andlook forward to working with him in the years ahead.”
Prior to joining UNU, Prof. Capon served as Professor of Public Health and Head, Discipline of Public
Health, at the University of Canberra. He concurrently held the post of Visiting Professor, Faculty of theBuilt Environment, University of New South Wales. Since 2008, he has been working with the International
Council for Science to develop a global interdisciplinary science programme on health and well-being in
the changing urban environment using systems approaches.
Prof. Capon’s previous academic experience included posts with the Australian National University,Macquarie University, University of Sydney and Menzies School of Health Research. He was the founding
convenor of the Climate Change Adaptation Research Network for Human Health in Australia. He also
worked with the charitable organization Oxford Health Alliance and with the Western Sydney Area HealthService.
He has held prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) and World HealthOrganization fellowships, as well as leadership roles with the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine(of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians) and the International Society for Urban Health.

Prof. Anthony Capon Joins the United Nations University as Director of UNU-IIGH

Prof. Capon is a medical graduate (BMedSc, MBBS and PhD degrees) of the University of Queensland(Brisbane). With his partner, Dr. Wendy Relf, a medical scientist and editor, he has two teenage sons.
“UNU-IIGH is uniquely placed to help frame human health in the post-2015 development agenda,including the proposed sustainable development goals. I am honoured to lead the Institute at thisimportant time”, said Prof. Capon. “One of our top priorities will be to work closely with other UN
agencies and Member States to strengthen responses to global epidemics of non-communicablediseases.”
The United Nations University, established in 1975, is a global research and teaching organization withactive institutes and programmes in 12 countries worldwide. The overarching goal of UNU is to contributeto global sustainable development that will enable present generations to live a decent life in peace,
freedom, safety and good health, without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same.
In carrying out its work as the academic arm of the United Nations system, UNU focuses on research,teaching and capacity development, as well as delivering advisory services as a think tank. UNU maintains
close cooperative relationships with other United Nations system organizations (agencies, programmes,
commissions, funds and convention secretariats) as well as with leading universities and research
institutions all over the world.
• For more information about UNU-IIGH, see http://www.iigh.unu.edu/.
• For information about the global UNU system, see http://unu.edu.

###